Sightless
by dbswldnjs
Summary: He treats me well, but him and I could never be together. He treats me terribly, but I could see myself being happy with him. They don't understand me, but I guess I don't even understand myself. What am I to do when fate throws me between two men and a past that's as clear to me as my vision? SasukexOCxGaara (More GaaraxOC) Rated M for safety.
1. Prologue Chapter 1: Mayu

**Prologue: Where are we now?**

"Daddy, where do we live?"

I had asked him this before. Countless times. 47 times if you want me to be more specific. Do not ask me how I know this, I had a very boring childhood.

I have no idea where we live now. Infact, I never know where we live. I do not know where I was born, nor do I know where we have lived for the past 2 years. We are always moving, and I can not see my surroundings, but I can still hear and smell them.

Where we live now smells strongly of unwashed bodies and rotten fruit.

I do not like this place.

Incase you have not figured it out yet, I am blind. I was not born blind, my eyesight has always been poor and over the years had slowly deteriorated on me.

Now, at the age of 8, I am 100% blind. All I can ever see is darkness, except for when I dream. I see people in my dreams. I am not sure who they are, but I see them. They seem to be happy, always smiling and laughing. I would love to describe them to you however I always forget what they look like as soon as I wake up. It is a huge burden not being able to see, but I have learned to adapt.

Something chaotic is happening where my family and I are staying. I was woken by women screaming, babies crying and the strong smell of burning wood. I had tried to ask my father what was happening but before I could mutter a word he had me up, dressed and was pulling me off into the woods.

The sounds of screaming and metal clashing against metal faded into the distance and soon all that could be heard was the cracking of twigs snapping beneath my feet and my fathers panting from somewhere ahead of me. The smell of pine and rain filled my nose. Pine trees only grew in the west side of the forest, we were running farther and farther away from our home.

"Dad, where.. where are we going?!" I managed between breaths. "What about Mom?"

No reply was heard. His breathing grew heavier and he began to run even more fast than before.

"Daddy I can't run anymore!" I shouted, almost tripping on a branch beneath my feet. "Please tell me what's going on!"

He stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into the back of him. He stood perfectly still, completely silent. Even his panting was silenced.

"Mayu." He whispered, before pulling me towards him. He shoved me hard towards the ground. "Stay here. Do not move, do not make noise. I will come back for you."

He released his grip on my wrist before hurrying away. I listened closely as his footsteps faded into the distance. All I could hear now was my breathing, and a bird chirping in a tree above me.

My father had forced me into a small alcove in a tree. My back was against the trunk while oversized roots surrounded me, concealing me from anyone who may pass. Water was dripping onto my legs from somewhere above me. My body that was once warm from running was now slowly losing it's warmth. Pulling my legs closer to my chest I began to weep silently.

I am not sure how long I sat there. It seemed like hours, but it could have been mere minutes. I was straining my ears listening for my father, for anything. Soon fatigue consumed my body and I found myself periodically drifting off to sleep only to be jolted awake by the sound of coyotes barking.

I stayed where I was until I felt the sun on my legs and the sound of barking was replaced by a squirrels chirping. Birds were singing overhead, and an animal, possibly a deer or raccoon, was walking around nearby.

My father never came back.

* * *

My lungs felt as though they were on fire.

I had been running for, oh goodness I'm not sure how long, and my muscles were starting to resist my urge to go on. I had been running in what I thought was the direction that my father had taken me, although I was most surely going in the wrong direction. A little way back I could have swore I smelled smoke, so I started running towards the scent. The wind picked up and the smell was lost, and so was I.

What was so horrible that my father had to just, leave me here and run away?

Was he tired of dragging around his blind daughter?

Or perhaps it was something... worse.

"That was a very uneventful mission. We almost died!"

I raised my head. Did I just hear voices? Was somebody near?

Could it be my father...

"Never regret your hard work, Asuma! I feel years younger, and full of youth!"

I took a guess as to where the voices were coming from and let my feet carry me in that direction.

"How much further? My feet hurt.."

"Help!" I squeaked, my voice was raspy from all the running. "Help... dad... I don't.. I don't know..."

The last thing I remember hearing was the sound of breaking branches and hushes voices.

* * *

_"Kakashi, Asuma, Gai..Where did you say you found her again?" An old man asked from across the desk._

_The three Jounin on the other side had just walked into his office after a mission carrying an unconscious little girl with them. It was a strange souvenir to bring back after taking out two bandit clans._

_"My lord." Gai began. "She was running through the woods in a panic, a few miles from the bandit camp."_

_"We have reason to believe she was blind sir." Asuma spoke up, blowing smoke from his mouth. "She was standing in front of us, but looking in the wrong direction shouting for help."_

_Kakashi stepped forward. "I have a hunch..." he let out a deep sigh. "I have a hunch that she was traveling with the group of them. There's no other possible way she could have ended up in the middle of the forest alone."_

_The Third Hokage sighed._

_"The Jackals and the Dragons have been at war for almost a decade now. So much blood has been shed, so many lives lost as a result. Last night, the Dragons launched a surprise attack on the Jackals and wiped out most of them. When we arrived, there were only a few of them left, so we took them out as quickly as possible." Kakashi explained. "There's no doubt that her parents were among the dead."_

_"What will we tell her? That we killed her family?" Gai wondered._

_Before anyone else could reply, shuffling was heard from the back of the room and the little girl who lay unconscious a few moments ago was stirring awake._

_"Wh..." She muttered. "Where am I... Who's there? Dad?"_

_"You're in Konoha, little one." The Third Hokage said, rising up from his seat. He approached the girl with caution, careful not to startle her. She was young, no older than 8 or 9, with short brown hair. Her clothes were nothing more than a dress stitched together out of various pieces of fabric and some sandles. She was soaked from last nights rain storm and covered in scratches and dirt._

_"I am the Third Hokage, leader of Konoha." He began, reaching out his hand and placing it on her shoulder. Surprisingly she did not flinch, instead she placed her hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Perhaps she is accustomed to this._

_"Mayu.." She whispered. "I am in.. Konoha?" She repeated. "Where's my dad?"_

_The room grew silent. Nobody knew what to say to her, nobody knew what to tell her. Should they just tell her that they killed her father?_

_"I don't know." She spoke up again, her voice hoarse and barely audible. "I don't know. I don't know.. where I came from or where I was, or where my dad went."_

_"Can you tell us what happened?" The Third Hokage asked, gesturing for Asuma to grab a pencil and notepad off of his desk to jot down some notes._

_"Well... we move around a lot. My daddy never tells..." She swallowed hard. "..told me where we were. I don't...I don't know where I was born or where... where my family is." The wall of tears she was trying to hard to hold back finally broke free and she began sobbing uncontrollably. "I was woken up by my daddy and he, he pulled me out of bed and ran with me into the fo-forest. He then..then shoved me down on the ground and told me to wait. He told me.. he would come back."_

_'And he never came back...' Asuma thought regretfully, writing down the last thing she said._

_"So you don't know what happened or where you were?" Kakashi repeated._

_Mayu shook her head._

_After that, they summoned Iruka and requested that he bring her somewhere to eat and get some dry clothes. Once they were gone, the Third Hokage buried his face in his hands, frustrated and unsure of what to do. The office was silent for what seemed like forever._

_"May I make a suggestion.." Gai spoke up for the first time in an hour. "I propose that we withhold the information about the bandit attack. It would be for her benefit, and we raise her here in Konoha. She deserves a normal life as opposed to the life she's been living for the pas years, even if she was completely unaware of it all."_

_Kakashi ran his fingers through his hair. Gai was right for once. "I hate to agree with my comrade here but yes, I agree with what he just said. Think of the trauma it would cause her to know that she will never see her family again, and that they were bandits and she never knew."_

_The old man on the other side of the desk growled. He hated it when Kakashi was right._

_"What she just told us, and what we learned today." He said, tapping his pipe in the stone bowl on his desk. "Stays between us, understood?"_

* * *

**4 years later...**

"Naruto I swear, if you eat anymore ramen you are going to make yourself sick!"

This was one of the moments where I could honestly say I was happy to be blind.

It was lunch time, and Naruto was on a brief intermission from his Shinobi studies. As usual, I had his lunch of ramen and fried veggies and meat ready for him to devour as soon as he walked through our front door.

The noises he made were enough to make me lose my appetite.

"Are you gonna eat that?" He mumbled with a mouth full of food. Again, I am happy that I can not see.

"...Nope. It's all yours." I said, sliding my dish towards him. Once I heard the sickening slurping that I was unfortunately accustomed to hearing, I got up from the table and began feeling my way over towards the sink.

"Anything interesting happen today?" I asked, feeling around for the dish rag. After a few seconds my fingers collided with its damp, slimy surface and I began to scrub the pots and pans within the sink.

"Oh! Arghruumablghga"I heard from behind my followed by the sound of someone choking, and then a loud bang. Before I could turn my head in wonder the "clink" of Naruto's bowl hitting the bottom of the sink was heard and his chakra was felt beside me.

"I can wash those, don't worry about it!" He said. I shook him off and handed him the dry towel that was draped over my shoulder.

"I wash, you dry. So, tell me what's new?"

"You're never gonna believe this!" He said, taking the bowl from my hands. "Kakashi-sensei told us he recommended us for the Chunin exams!"

I didn't have to see to know that Naruto was grinning from ear to ear.

"And, that's not all." He said, rummaging around in the cupboard above our heads. "We had a run in with some, obnoxious Sand Shinobi! Some shorty with no eyebrows and his ugly siblings."

Naruto then proceeded to talk my ear off, telling me about the Shinobi he met this morning and how they all trembled in his presence.

I had a strange suspicion that Naruto's story was greatly exaggerated.

* * *

_"Naruto wait!" I called out into the darkness in front of me. "Naruto please... tell me where you are."_

_I stumbled around blindly for a few moments, reaching for something, anything. _

_Naruto was nowhere to be found._

_We climbed onto the roof of our apartment building, just to see if we could do it being as tiny as we weastre. As soon as I had succeeded in making it to the top, Naruto vanished._

_"Please... this isn't funny." I was inching my way forward, trying not to go too close to the edge. I was sure that I was in the center of the roof at least._

_I sure was wrong._

_"Mayu watch out!" was the last thing I heard before my foot fell through the air and I fell to the ground with a shrill scream._

**"Wake up, short stuff!"**

My eyes shot open, not that my line of sight changed any.

After Naruto had eagerly rushed off to continue his training with the rest of his squad I had taken a walk through the forest and my leg grew sore with all the walking. I took a seat on the ground beside a large tree and I guess I dozed off.

Subconsciously I reached down and touched my knee. I had wrapped the bandages a little too tight this morning and It had irritated me all day.

Maybe that's what caused me to have that dream?

"Does it hurt?"

I chuckled. I was so absorbed in my thoughts I had completely forgot about the voice who woke me up.

"Hello Sasuke." I smiled in what I hoped was his direction. "A little but, I'm okay."

He let out a very audible sigh.

The dream I had wasn't really a dream, it was more like a distant memory that plays in my head while I sleep.

When I had fallen off the roof that time, my foot got caught in the gutter and my knee twisted at a very unnatural angle. The gutter snapped under my weight and I fell to the ground, breaking the bone entirely.

My knee never healed properly. The Medical Corps had told me that bone-healing jutsu's were risky, and with the amount of damage I sustained to my leg, they couldn't take the risk especially since I was so young when it happened.

"The Chunin exams huh?" I began, changing the topic. The ground shifted beside me and I suddenly felt Sasuke's warmth on my body.

"Yeah." Was all he said.

He wasn't much of a talker.

He still made me happy though.

"Do you think you'll do well?" I asked him, hoping to continue the conversation. He wasn't one to have a conversation with anyone let alone a long, productive one.

"Are you kidding?" He scoffed. "Of course I'm going to do well. I'm going to pass."

"I think Naruto is going to beat you." I chirped, elbowing him in the ribs. "He's strong you know."

The anger was so strong I could feel it resonating off of him. I know it seems a little mean, however I could not stop myself from laughing.

Sasuke and I met two years ago. I had taken a wrong turn walking home from the Hyuga manor and had gotten myself lost. I wound up on the Uchiha compound and Sasuke was kind enough to escort me home.

It took me ages to crack through his _"I'm better than you"_ barrier but, I managed.

Now we're great friends.

It resulted in 75% of Konoha's female population between the ages of 8 and 16 to hate me.

"I was just kidding." I told him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Don't be angry with me."

"I'll try." He said with a chuckle, causing his shoulder to vibrate.

The two of us sat in silence. He most likely had his eyes closed, I doubted that he was the type to enjoy looking at nature. As for me, I loved the sounds of the outdoors. The birds weren't just making annoying, pointless noises, to me they were singing to one another, longing for company and a presence to spend some time with. The wind blowing through trees was my most favourite sound of all, it made me feel right at home, as if I had lived in the woods my whole life.

"Why were you in the forest alone?"

"Hm?"

"You heard me."

I hated it when he was like this.

"I went for a walk. You know when I have nothing else to do I tend to wander. Nice weather we're having huh?" I said, hoping to change the topic. However, Sasuke Uchiha was not one to talk about the weather nor would he allow me to change the topic.

"I hate it when you wander off alone."

"Sasuke I'm fi-"

"But you're not fine!"

Now it was my turn to sigh. "I may have a game leg, and I may be blind but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself thank you."

This was an argument we had several times a day. Sasuke was convinced that if I tried to go off and do things on my own that I would fall and die, or be kidnapped.

Who wants to kidnap a blind cripple?

I lifted myself up off the ground and began to walk away, ignoring the throbbing pain from my leg. This was something I did when I was angry or upset with Sasuke, simply because I knew he hates it when I walk away from him.

"Don't you walk away from me." I heard as an arm firmly grasped onto my elbow.

See what I mean?

"I'll stop walking away from you if you apologize." I said, yanking my arm free from his grasp. "I am not a child."

"You know I care about you Mayu." He told me, grabbing my arm once more.

"And I care about you too Sasuke." I said. "But that doesn't mean you can go around, confining me to my house."

I stopped walking, and seconds after I heard his footsteps stop as well. Both of us were silent, all I could hear was our breathing and the sounds of nature around us. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my face, leaving me wondering if he could burn down a tree by simply staring at it long enough.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "I'll calm down."

I pulled him into a hug. I was the only person he let hug him, and that drove the fangirl's crazy. Everybody in Konoha knows that he has feelings for me, and that I feel the same way about him. He says he can never be with me however, because that would get in the way of his "revenge."

I don't understand how having a girlfriend will get in the way of you training really hard and then killing somebody.

But if Sasuke says it will then it must be true.

"Let's go home. If you're here then that means training is over and Naruto's probably at home, freaking out over my prolonged absence." I smiled at him, happy that our argument was over for another day and that he wasn't going to go to sleep angry at me.

That happened last month, and it was not pretty.

"I'm not the only one who worries about you." He chuckled, grabbing my hand as we began walking back towards Konoha.

'He has his own reasons to be worried...' I thought to myself, remembering back to the day that I fell off of our roof.

Sasuke walked me home, even though I insisted that I could find my own way, and before leaving he planted a kiss on my cheek. I felt like crying once I got in the house, the thoughts of having somebody like him care about me while still refusing to be with me killed me inside. It was rare that anybody in this town treated me that way. Naruto thought of me as a little sister while Hinata was my best friend. Sakura and Ino wanted to skin me alive and make bread from my carcass while the rest of the genin and children our age didn't take the time out of their day to speak to me. The adults ignored me unless they were telling me to move out of their way or unless they were Kakashi or the owner of the sweets shop downtown I'm so fond of.

Sasuke was the only person to feel that way about me, he seemed to be one of the few who showed some sort of affecton towards me.

When I went inside, I was instantly met by the same speech I received from Sasuke earlier except Naruto decided he wanted to scream it at me rather than talk like a normal person.

After cooking supper for the two of us I found my way to my bedroom, changing into my pajama's and then slipping under the covers. I was completely unaware as to what time it was but it didn't matter to me, I just wanted to go to sleep.

I wanted to dream.

When I closed my eyes, as usual nothing changed and I felt a heavy sadness wash over me. I wanted more than anything to know what it would be like to see things besides blackness for once, to know the difference between night and day, light and dark. At least I can see in my dreams, but It would be lovely if I remembered what I saw when I woke up the following day.

I gently rolled over onto my back, careful not to strain my leg in doing so. I stared up at the ceiling.

'I wonder what colour my ceiling is?' I chuckled to myself. 'I wonder who's on our roof? I'm sure it's very boring up there. Whoever it is, they have very strong chakra.'

* * *

***This is chapter one for my re-written version of my story "Blinded."**  
**I changed Sasuke and Mayu's relationship, I also changed Mayu's backstory, and her past because not many fans were happy with what I had originally written.**  
**Many more changes to come.**  
**What do you think? LET ME KNOW! :)**


	2. The Unknown Shinobi

**Chapter 2: The Unknown Shinobi**

I woke up to the next day to the smell of something burning. Without even opening my eyes, I threw off the covers and felt my way out of my room and into the kitchen.  
The smell was the strongest in there.

"Naruto! What did you do?" I shouted, the smell of smoke was burning my nose.

I heard a startled yelp followed by a very audible crash which made me want to face palm, but I resisted the urge.

"Oh Mayu... did I wake you? hehehe...he...I uh, wanted to cook breakfast." Naruto explained nervously. "I kind of burnt the cereal though..." And with that last sentence, I really did face palm.

"Just... clean up the mess, I'm gonna go take a bath... I'll make breakfast when I'm done okay?" I finished with a smile.

I turned on my heel and headed towards my bathroom. Just as I shut the door, I heard another crash and then a scream. Instead of rushing out to inspect the damage I simply chose to ignore it. Naruto was cleaning that up. I am not his maid..

I slowly inched across the room, until my toe gently bumped against the edge of my bathtub. I felt to my right, and found the back of the toilet, where I kept my candles. The lighter was directly beside the candle, where I always put it, and I ignited the candle without much trouble at all.

Feeling around for the bathroom taps, I turned the water one with one hand, using my other hand to feel the temperature.

The smell of vanilla filled the room. I didn't bother to turn on the light, I never did nor did I need to... All I ever see is dark anyways. The candle was for scent purposes only.  
As I lay in the bath, feeling the water rush over my feet, my mind began to wander.

'The Chunin exams are soon... that will mean Sasuke's gonna be busier than ever.' I thought to myself, before reaching over to turn the water off. 'What am I gonna do? All my friends will be participating... I wish I was a ninja, then I could go too...'

I reached over and began to rub my sore knee. "If only I never got this stupid leg injury.. "

A pang of guilt washed over me. I had told Naruto after it had happened that it was no big deal, and that I wasn't mad, which was entirely true, I wasn't mad, but sometimes I wish it just never happened.

Perhaps if I was more careful..

I could never be mad at Naruto it wasn't his fault, he didn't know what would happen. We promised that day that we wouldn't tell anyone what happened, because if anyone found out, they would jump all over Naruto.

I can't even tell Sasuke..

The story that we agreed upon was I climbed up onto the roof of our apartment to prove to myself that I could do it and I slipped over the edge. Naruto heard me fall and rushed out to find my sprawled on the ground.

"Stop thinking about the past!" I told myself, shaking the thoughts from my head. "Time to get washed and get out."

I kept everything in the same spot on the shelves along the edge of my tub so I could find it when I needed. It went; Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, luffa, facecloth, razor, shaving cream. I also had stickers on each bottle, incase someone tried to pull a prank on me..

After my bath, I dried myself off and got dressed. I wasn't sure what the colour was, but I put on a dress that had sleeves that hung off my shoulders, and whose length went just above my knees. It was sort of, lacy along the top with a little bow in the middle.

After I brushed my hair, and parted it the best to my abilities. Feeling my way through the halls I could hear Naruto talking to himself, and I smelled something even stronger than the smoke that filled our house just moments ago.

"Naruto, what did you do now?" I asked, feeling for the table.

I felt his hand grab mine and begin to lead me over towards something. "I didn't want you to have to cook breakfast.." he began. "And I felt bad for always messing things up, so I went to Ichiraku's and ordered us some ramen!" he said, laughing sheepishly at the end.

I smiled. He was always trying to do things for me, and even though he always manages to mess up somehow, I was grateful for his effort.

"I made sure to get seafood ramen for you, because I know it's your favourite." He added, making me smile wider.

He was always there for me, even when I didn't want him to be.

"Thanks Naruto." I said, squeezing his hand.

I heard a chair screech and Naruto pushed me down onto the seat. I moved myself in closer to the table and lifted my hands to feel around for my food. Naruto's hands once again found mine and guided them towards their destinations. One towards my bowl, the other towards my chopsticks.

"Let's chow down!" I heard him say, I laughed. "Chow down indeed."

* * *

After Naruto and I ate, he left for early morning training. which left me by myself as usual. He had ordered me to stay in the house, away from all the foreign Shinobi wandering around Konoha.

However as soon as I sensed that his chakra had almost completely diminish, I went outside for a walk. No one was going to confine me to a building, not Naruto, not Sasuke, not anyone!

I got the bottom of my stairs and just walked straight. I couldn't see where I was going but that was alright, I could manage on my own. When I got a few dozen steps away from our place, I began to feel around for my surroundings. Eventually my hands collided with a tree.

Feeling around the tree trunk for a few minutes, I found what I wanted. A number carved into the side of the trunk.

When I was ten, I kept getting lost in the village. The Hokage gave me permission to carve numbers into the buildings, trees and benches in Konoha so I would know where in the village I was currently standing. The tree I was at was number 12, which meant the Hokage's office was just a few steps to my right, and directly ahead of me was the market.

Grinning to myself I turned on my heel and headed towards the market. When I got into town, I knew exactly where I was going; Building number 3; The sweets shop!

I stopped there on a regular basis, just to relax. There's not much for a blind person to do alone in a village full of ninja's.

"Hey Mayu!" came the familiar voice of the owner.

"Hey Ken." I said, turning towards the voice.

The owner's name was Kenji, but everyone just called him Ken for short. He was a middle-aged man, with the face of a bandit and the personality of an angel. I'm not sure if the face-rumour is true, but he truly was the nicest man in the village.

"What will it be? The usual?" He asked. I heard him place down a plate and a cup directly in front of me.

I chuckled, "You know it!" I said, reaching out for the cup.

Judging by the smell he saw me coming and brewed a fresh pot of tea for me. I picked up one of the freshly baked tea cookies he had set out for me and dunked it into the cup of steaming orange-pekoe tea.

I took a bite, so good! This was my usual, I had it almost every morning.

"So I've seen an unusual number of freaky foreign ninja's around lately.." Ken said. I jumped slightly, having thought he walked away to do something else. I swallowed my bite of cookie.

"I'd say the Chunin exams are being hosted here.. am I correct?" he finished.

I nodded. "Yeah.. everyone's really excited it seems." I said, taking a sip of tea.

"Mmmm.. something seems off though. I mean, why would they want them to be hosted here in Konoha? We're a total hick town compared to the Mist or Waterfall village!" Ken added.

Setting my cup down I couldn't help but think hard about what he said. I had never thought about that before, but he did have a point.

Why here? Why Konoha?

I could feel the worry and tension coming from Ken, as his daughter was a Kunoichi, so I decided against agreeing with him.

I forced a laugh. "Don't worry too much." I said to him, "They probably just got tired of the same old scenery, the same old village. Must have wanted a change, I know I sure would." I added to make him feel better.

Ken laughed along with me. "I guess your right, I'm just a worry wart, you know how protective I am of my little Tenten. Anyways enjoy your tea and cookie, It's on me this time! You know, for being such a loyal customer."

After my tea and cookies, Ken and I chatted about the weather for a bit before he got busy, so I decided to scurry away to make more room for customers.

What Ken had said to my earlier was playing over and over in my head.

'Something big is going to happen... I know it, he knows it.' I began thinking. 'But why Konoha? What's special about here? I hope Sasuke is alright...' I frowned. 'I should warn Naruto, that way if something does happen they can be prepared.'

I was so lost in my thoughts I wasn't watching where I was going. I felt my face collide with someone's back, and judging by their unfamiliar chakra, they were not from around here.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I said, rubbing my sore nose. I felt the persons eyes on me, and I have to admit even though I couldn't see them, I could tell they weren't very friendly eyes. "I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going... please forgive me." I said, hoping that they wouldn't be angry enough to throw a punch my way.

"Watch where you are going next time." Came a soft, husky voice.

I stopped rubbing my nose and looked in the direction of the voice. His tone was something I never heard before. It was soft, but deep. Aggressive, but calm. Emotionless, but filled with anger and sorrow.

'I should act friendly. I don't want to seem rude, and I don't want to get in a fight with anyone.' I thought, forcing a smile onto my face. "If only I could." I said, reaching towards him.

Eventually my hands found his shoulders, and I could feel him grow tense from my touch. Ignoring it I smiled up at what I hoped was his face.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here in Konoha, best of luck in the Chunin exams." I said, rubbing his shoulders a bit before letting go. I nodded at him and walked around him, trying to give him his space. I could tell instantly he wasn't a very social person.

I felt his eyes burning holes in the back of my head while I was walking away, and even when I was sure he couldn't see me anymore, I swear I still felt him watching me.

* * *

I walked deep into the forest, following the cut marks I had left on the tree with a kunai I stole from Naruto.

It took my to my favourite spot; The only lake in Konoha.

'That guy is still following me.' I thought nervously to myself. 'What does he want? He doesn't seem to be friendly. Maybe I should have brought someone with me...'

I felt my feet leave the dirt path I was traveling on and I could hear the sound of grass underneath my feet.

The encounter with the foreign shinobi left me spooked. Even without looking at him I could tell that he was trouble. There was something in his voice however, that left me wondering.

What could have happened to him to cause them to be so emotionless, but yet so sad?

Could he be hostile like that because he is a Jinchuruki?

I could tell just by how strong his chakra was that he was a host to one of the tailed beasts. His chakra was almost as strong as Naruto's, maybe even stronger.

'I hope he gets bored and leaves...'

I eventually found the edge of the lake and took a seat on the grass, removing my shoes I let my legs dangle in the water.

I could hear the birds chirping in the tree-tops behind me. They sounded so happy as they sang their songs and danced around one another, I could even swear one was calling my name, but it most definitely was my imagination.

The wind was gently blowing, so I could hear the leaves rustling and the branches scraping up against one another.

The shinobi was approaching me at a rather fast pace, but I decided against acting out in a fright and simply remained where I was.

I could hear movement beside me, and suddenly he was there.

"Why do you smile at me?" I heard him growl.

I turned my head in the direction of his voice. "I smile at everyone. It's who I am." I explained, hoping to avoid angering him even further.

"You touched me." He growled. "You... touched me."

My mouth automatically formed a frown. Somebody has PDA issues it seems.

"It was so I knew that you were still in front of me." I lied, hoping he wouldn't freak out and attack. I couldn't just say 'I patted your shoulder hoping you would see I'm a nice person and spare my life.'

I could feel his anger fade away slightly, and I heard him let out a very long sigh.

"Do not touch me again." He said, in a normal voice this time.

I nodded before patting the ground beside me. "Want to talk? I have nothing to do." I said, hoping to lighten the mood. He didn't sit down beside me, but he didn't move away either.

"So you must be here for the Chunin exams." I began, trying to start a conversation. Silence was the reply. "What village are you from?" I tried again.

Still more silence.

Well this is getting nowhere fast.

I looked down, playing with my thumbs hoping he would sense my awkwardness and at least tell me where he was from.

"Sunagakure." He said at last, his voice still as emotionless as before.

'So he's from the sand village.' I thought. "What's it like there?" I asked curiously.

I truly wanted to know, I had never been there. At least... I'm pretty sure that I had never been there.

I heard a noise coming from his throat, it sounded like he let out a cross between a "hmph" and a chuckle.

"It's nothing but dull buildings and sand." He told me.

I pointed my eyes towards the sky. "Sand..." I trailed off. "I've never seen sand before. What's it look like?" I asked him.

Nothing was said afterwards, my stomach felt sick.

I was probably annoying the hell out of this poor guy, he didn't seem very happy to talk to me. Perhaps I was angering him once more?

'Maybe I should just leave him alone..' I thought to myself, preparing myself to stand up and walk away as fast as my leg would take me.

"Have you seen dirt?" he asked.

I gasped, a bit startled. I hadn't expected him to speak again.

I just nodded in his direction. "When I was younger, but, I don't remember what it looks like." I explained, praying for a reply this time.

"Sand... looks like dirt but it's more coarse and light in colour." He told me.

"What colour is it?"

"Golden brown."

"Golden brown..." I couldn't remember what golden brown was. 'Sounds like a very light brown colour, or maybe it's another shade of gold.' My thoughts told me

This guy didn't seem so scary anymore, once I got a few words out of him.

'Maybe all he needs is a friend.'

"My name is Mayu. What's yours?" I asked with a smile, trying to turn this conversation around.

I heard him take a breath, as if he were about to speak, but then nothing came.

No voice, no name, nothing.

But I did feel him tense up, and as soon as I sensed the chakra I knew and loved so well approaching, I knew why he suddenly grew so tense.

"Mayu!" Sasuke's voice came.

He sounded mad. I stood up to meet him. "Sasuke! What are you doing here you're supposed to be-"

"What are you doing here?" He cut me off.

"What do you mean..?" I asked, biting my bottom lip.

His breathing sounded heavy like he was tired and worn out, and I could tell he was angry about something. He didn't say anything to me, but he stood still.

Was he staring at the shinobi that was with me? Did they know each other? The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife...

"Nevermind... We're going now." He said suddenly, with more force in his voice than I've ever heard before.

I felt his grip on my arm as he began forcibly dragging my back towards town.

"S-sasuke what are you doing?" I asked him, trying to break free.

He didn't answer, he just kept pulling me farther away. I could feel the ninja's chakra begin to fade, but his stare was still burning into my skin as if he were still right beside me.

After a few moments I gave up struggling and just let Sasuke drag me along. My knee had been hurting me all day, and after being drug several feet by Sasuke it felt like it was about ready to fall off.

Eventually he stopped walking and turned me to face him.

"Why were you talking to Gaara?" He demanded.

'Gaara...? Is that his name?' I thought to myself, completely ignoring Sasuke's question. 'I guess that would make sense he sure seems like a Gaara.'

"Well?" Sasuke demanded again.

I frowned. "What's the big deal? We were just talking." I wondered. "Are you forbidding me from talking to other people now too?"

"Stay away from him, Mayu." He said.

I glared at him. "Excuse me?" I yanked my arm free from his grasp, feeling his nails scrape against my skin as I did so. "Sasuke Uchiha, you don't own me! You can't tell me who I can and can-not hang around with."

I was mad now. I understand that I just met this, Gaara person, but he didn't hurt me. Well, it seemed like he was going to hurt me, and I was sure that he wanted to, but he didn't.

"Mayu.. I ran into him earlier, him and his team mates.. He's bad news, all the shinobi that came here for the Chunin exams are. Promise me you'll stay away from

him." He paused, letting out a sigh of frustration. "Or at least.. try to be careful. I don't trust any of them."

I couldn't help but smile, he was actually trusting me for once. Or it seemed like he was.

I reached my hands up and put them on his face. I traced his nose with my thumbs and slid my hands down his face until I held it in my hands. His skin was so soft, blemish free.

"Don't worry about me Sasuke. I'll be careful. Besides, no respectable shinobi would pick on the blind cripple now would they?" I said with a wink. Before he could say anything, I pulled his face towards mine and our lips met.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen this kiss. Even though I would have liked to enjoy this moment with him, I couldn't. My mind couldn't shake off the fact that we could never truly be together.

Before I could truly savour the kiss he seemed to realize what was going on and pushed me away from him.

"Mayu.. you kno-"

"That we can never be together. I know..." I said, before turning on my heel and walking towards our apartment. I could hear our wind chimes clanging against one another, so we couldn't be too face away.

When I reached our step I sat myself down on the very bottom one and just let my tears fall.

'It hurts.' I thought. 'Out of all the men in Konoha, why does it have to be him? The one who...'

"Mayu are you alright?"

'Oh yeah, Naruto lives here too.'

"..I'm okay." I lied, wiping my face on the back of my hand. "My leg really hurts, that's all."

"Enough to make you cry?!" He yelled. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

I stood up and began limping up the stairs. "I'll be okay, I just need some sleep." I said.

I heard him rushing upstairs behind me. "Are you sure? I mean, I have no problem carrying-"

"Naruto please." I snapped. "I am alright. Really..."

* * *

I went straight to my room and just, sat on the edge of my bed and stared straight ahead.

"I shouldn't have snapped at Naruto." I told myself. "He was just concerned that's all..."

When I first came to Konoha, they had stuck me in various temporary homes until I found a family who was willing to keep me. After a year and a half they had given up hope.

Until I met Naruto. He was sitting on a swing alone, crying, and I heard him and went to investigate.

After an hour of conversing with one another I had declared us to be best friends, and once I found out he lived alone I almost begged him to let me live with him.

He had no objections to letting me stay. He had told me he was lonely, and having a friend in the house would be a nice change.

"My life.. is just one big mess." I sighed, throwing myself back onto my mattress. "Why does he like our roof so much?"

The same guy who was on our roof the night before had returned.

Only this time the chakra, was all too familiar to me.

"Why is Gaara... on our roof?"


	3. Nasty Encounter

**Chapter 3: Nasty Encounter**

Today was the day before the official start of the Chunin exams.

Every Genin from all the surrounding nations would be hard at work preparing themselves both physically and mentally for tomorrow's exams.

Naruto took off first thing this morning to go train with his squad, leaving me to hang out around the apartment by myself.

Or so I thought.

"Sasuke what are you doing here?" I asked, when I heard a knock at the door and opened it to be greeted by the familiar chakra that is Sasuke.

"Hn." He replied before walking right by me and into the house.

"Hello to you too." I laughed, shutting the door and limping after him."Why aren't you training with the others?"

"Your leg, has been bothering you a lot hasn't it?" He asked me, completely ignoring my question.

"A little, but I'm alright."

Why was everyone so concerned about my leg suddenly?

"Hn..." He replied, again.

"So, did you come here to 'Hn' at me all day or did you want something?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips in mock anger.

"I just wanted to see you before training." He said, walking over and placing a kiss on my forehead. "That's all."

I smiled, reaching forward and wrapping my arms around his waist.

_"Sasuke!" I yelled from outside his door. "I found my way here all by myself, you'd better be home!"_

_It was Valentines day, and I was determined to make the best of it. I heard a rumour that Sasuke liked me, and I decided that today was the best time to confess._

_"I'm here, whatd'ya want?" He grumbled as he opened the door._

_"Hi to you too." I laughed, walking passed him into the house. "Its Valentines day! I came to hang out."_

_I heard him laugh from behind me._

_Valentines was Sasuke Uchiha's worst day of the year._

_"I brought you a gift." I said shyly, tugging on the paper wrapped around it. "I hope you like it."_

_'I hope I managed to wrap it like a decent human being...'_

_I could hear him tearing off the paper, and then nothing._

_Silence._

_No "OH MY GOD I LOVE IT!"_

_or_

_"OH MY GOD I HATE IT!"_

_"Well..." I began. "Is it a decent gift?"_

_"Why did you come here, on this day?" He asked, his voice suddenly very stern._

_I bit my lip. Should I just tell him?_

_"Well..." I cleared my throat. "I was told that... you liked me. And, well.. I like you and I was hoping the rumours were true because if not I look really stupid right now."_

_A loud crash was heard and I could hear him walking away._

_What just happened?_

_"Leave." He shouted from across the room. "Just leave."_

_And so I did._

_That night he showed up at me door, just as I finished my bath._

_"Why are you here?" I asked him when I opened the door and noticed it was him standing there._

_"We need to talk."_

_Those are the 4 words that any human being hates hearing._

_When we sat down I was more nervous than ever before. He was most definitely here to talk about my confession earlier, but what was he here to say? _

_Were we even still friends?_

_"Sasuke... I..."_

_"Mayu listen." He began, taking my hands in his. He lead me over to our couch and sat me down on one end before taking a seat beside me, still holding onto my hands._

_"Mayu..." He began again. "I like you too."_

_My heart began to flutter in my chest. Did he really just say he liked me as well? Then.. why did he seem so angry with me this morning?_

_"But..."_

_There's always a "but" isn't there.._

_"We can never be together. I have a goal, to become stronger and avenge my clan. My goal, needs all my focus. It's the most important thing in my life right now and I can't have any distractions."_

_It was so difficult to hold back all my tears._

_"Please understand."_

_I forced back all the tears, all the words that I wanted to say right then and just smiled._

_"It's okay Sasuke, I understand."_

He was much more open with my after that. He would sometimes hold my hand while we walked together, or while we sat on the roof and just talked about things. He hugged me often and he even kissed me on my 12th birthday.

Even with all this affection we still can't be together.

It's like having a plate of your favourite food handed to you, but being told you can never eat it.

"Okay but before you leave, tell me what I'm wearing today."

He chuckled. I could never tell if I was colour coordinated or not, for all I know I was wearing lime green and zebra print!

I wish I had the ability to feel colour.

"You're wearing a blue dress with lace trim and It's sleeveless I think. I can't really tell because you have a brown, short-sleeved sweater overtop with a red bow tying it in the center of your chest. You look cute."

"And my hair?"

"Shoulder length and brown with straight-cut bangs as usual."

It was my turn to laugh.

"You sure do know how to make a girl feel beautiful." I joked, elbowing him in the ribs.

"You are beautiful." He said, kissing me on the cheek. I could feel my face grow very warm and It took all my willpower to stop myself from squealing like an idiot.

* * *

After Sasuke left I decided on a walk. I needed some fresh air, I hate being indoors.

It seemed like the Chunin exams were causing quite a commotion around town. The usual soft silence with the occasional spurt of laughter and the gentle hum of conversation was replaced by panicked yelling, rushed banter and various smashing and crashing noises.

"Gee it sure sounds busy around here." I told myself, straining my ears trying to hear any sort of distinct sound to let me know where in Konoha that I was currently standing. All the voices, the clanking of cups and the pitter-patter of footsteps blurred together making it difficult for me to hear.

"This is an honour for the Leaf Village." I reminded myself, headed farther to the left. "There's so much chakra that I can't recognize, it's almost scary."

"One chai latte and an order of jelly donuts to go for a Miss... Mitsurugi!" I heard one familiar voice yell over the crowd.

"Hey, I must be close to Ken's!" I laughed to myself.

I could make up a vague mental image of what everybody else was seeing at the moment. The street vendors, the crowds, Ken rushing around trying to get his orders together. I wanted to see what all the vibrant colours of the fruits and vegetables displayed in the kiosks, the banners that hung from the sides of businesses.

'If only I could see...'

While I was walking through town, I successfully dodged several dozen pedestrians who failed to notice my seeing impairment, and I accidentally ran down a man carrying several boxes.

"I am so, so sorry!" I screamed, bending down to help him pick up his parcels. I had a difficult time tracking down the various boxes that were scattered all around us, I grabbed the mans hand several times while searching and eventually gathered up an arm load for him.

"Thank you miss." He said kindly, with an accent that I never recognized. "I did not realize that you could not see. Wow! Your eyes.. so blue! Like crystal..."

My face grew very hot. Nobody ever commented on my eyes before.

I had no idea they had any colour to them...

"Well, I'll be seein' you then." He said suddenly, rushing passed me.

"What a strange man, must be a delivery ninja." I shrugged, continuing on my way.

Outside the academy there was a open field with a few benches. That was where I was headed.

I enjoyed listening to the chatter of excited children as they hurried in and out of the academy, it made me smile to know that they were one step closer to achieving their goals.

It makes me sound creepy doesn't it? "I like to sit on a bench and listen to happy children!"

I'm no pedophile, trust me.

I'm just lonely.

On my way to the academy, I happened to recognize a familiar chakra nearby.

'Why isn't he out training?' I wondered, heading in that direction. I could hear the school bell chiming, and the sounds of children and their parents yelling back and forth at one another.

"He must be on the academy roof."

I approached the voices of one of the young women, hoping I wouldn't freak her out very much. It's amazing how scared I am of people that I don't know, even though I've lived here for almost five years now.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you.. is there somebody on the roof? Of that academy?"

"Yup!" The person replied. It was a child after all, and not an adult. "He's just sittin' up there, staring at the Hokage faces on the mountain."

I smiled down towards their voice. "I see, and is there a way up onto the roof?"

The child replied with a soft humming noise.

"There's a ladder! On the left side of the building!" He said before running off, not even wating for my reply. I didn't move until the sound of their footsteps vanished, and then I turned towards the building.

I know that I seem like a crazy person, climbing up on top of a roof after some man I just met the other day. However, I'm strangely drawn to him.

He seems to be misunderstood.

I walked forward, with my hand outstretched hoping I wouldn't walk face-first into the side of the building. Eventually my hand-made contact with the wall and I felt my way to the right, searching for this, ladder the child spoke of.

I could still hear the children running with one another, laughing and carrying on without a single worry in the world, their parents were calling their names, or standing back watching and laughing.

My hand collided with cool metal, and I grasped a metal bar leading up.

"This is it." I said, placing my good leg up on one of the bars, and hoisting myself up one step at a time. My bad leg ached with each step but I just ignored it and pushed on.

'He doesn't seem like a bad guy.' I told myself when I reached the top. 'I just hope that I'm not being creepy.'

After I successfully hoisted myself up into the stone roof of the academy I inched my way forward, towards the burn of his chakra and the sound of something flapping in the wind.

Maybe he's wearing a cape? Or a sash?

"Mind if I sit with you?" I called out, loud enough for him to hear.

I listened, and I might look like, sitting there on top of the academy staring straight ahead of him.

Did he have long, or short hair? What colour was it?

Perhaps he was large in size? Or terribly thin?

Gaara didn't say anything to me, he didn't even acknowledge that he had heard me.

I sighed, he was stubborn alright. I could tell the moment I first bumped into him that he wasn't very social, or friendly, and he didn't seem to like contact with other people.

Even so, I was determined to get him to open up more. At least a bit.

"Beautiful weather we're having right?" I tried again, taking a seat beside where I hoped his body was. I moved my hand and felt it bump against something soft and warm, which told me that I had successfully seated myself beside him.

This time I felt his eyes on me, his stare was so intense it was almost..suffocating.

"You can't see the weather." He said calmly. "How can you know that it's beautiful?"

I chuckled. "It's true I can't see it. But.. you don't have to have to actually see something to be able to admire it's beauty." I stated.

"I'm an example of that." I began, feeling a bit nervous with him staring at me. "I can't see people, so I'll never be able to tell if they're ugly, or beautiful, however I can tell if they have a good heart, and a beautiful personality.

I can't see snow, but I can admire it's form. How it changes so many times, from beautiful specks of snow falling gracefully from the heavens, to being a raging hurricane that can kill you if you stand outside in it for too long.

I can't see the sun, but I can admire the heat it gives off.

So you are right, I can't see the weather, but I do know that it's beautiful, by the way that it feels and by the way animals, nature and people react to the way it feels."

When I was finished speaking, I couldn't hear anything.

Not his breathing, not his voice, not even a single movement.

If it wasn't for his overwhelming chakra beside me I would have thought he vanished.

We sat in the silence for a long time after this. I was paying close attention to the sounds coming from below us.

"Why did you come to me?" He asked, breaking the silence. He had this, demanding tone in his voice.

I glanced over in his direction. "What do you mean?"

Gaara snarled from beside me. I was probably provoking him with all my talking, and questions. I should have known he wasn't a social person.

"You remind me of someone." I blurted out. "Someone close to me."

Now he was really staring at me.

"Someone... close?"

The way he said those last two words sent shivers up my spine. I was now realizing that Gaara, may not be very stable.

'No turnin back now..' I thought, swallowing my fear.

"He's my best friend, and you two seem very similar." I said, bringing my legs up to my chest. "You're a Jinchuriki, right?"

I'll admit it was brave of me to come out with this so suddenly, especially after I just met the guy, but hey I was curious.

I felt Gaara tense up beside me, it didn't take someone with sight to be able to tell that he wasn't too happy I brought this up, and I can understand why. I have been best friends with Naruto for years.

. I turned towards Gaara with a smile. "I'm sorry I shouldn't pry in on your personal life. We don't have to talk about it." I assured him.

He was still very tense, and I could feel something begin to creep up my arms like a snake. It was very coarse, almost like broken glass and it smelled fowl.

Usually, I would freak out, but right now I had a feeling that this was Gaara's doing, and I had to calm him down.

Somehow..

"How did you know?" He asked, in a very, very angry voice. It was almost, demonic.

. My eyes widened for a second, and I considered leaping off the building to safety but decided against it. That would just provoke him farther.

"I can just tell." I said. This clearly wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, because more of the stuff began to creep up my body. "Your chakra is strong, overwhelming actually. I've only ever met one other person with chakra that strong, and he was a Jinchuriki. That's how I knew." I explained.

I felt one of my arms free themselves and a portion of my body as well, however my left arm and from the waist down was still covered in... whatever this was.

"You.. know another.. like me?" He asked, his voice unchanging.

I nodded. "He's my best friend." I said smiling.

Gaara flinched, and he must have let his guard down as well for the coarse, smelly stuff he had covered me in just seconds before, began to vanish.

."He's... your friend? But why?" Gaara yelled. His voice had emotions I never heard from him before. He sounded like he was in pain, angry, sad and confused at the same time.

Perhaps he grew up just like Naruto?

Was this why I was acting this way?

Because he reminded me of Naruto?

"He's always been there for me." I explained, looking up towards the sky that I couldn't see. "We've been best friends for a long time..."

_I was blindly exploring Konoha. _

_It probably wasn't my best idea because I hadn't been here for very long, and I was completely unaware as to what lied behind each corner. _

_ I was almost sure that I had gotten myself lost, and was about to throw myself on the ground and cry until I heard crying coming from somewhere near. _

_I turned towards the sound and listened. _

_I could hear slow, creaking, and a soft swishing sound but I couldn't figure out what it was. _

_Somebody was crying, somebody was upset._

_I don't like it when people are upset._

_I began to walk towards the sound, holding my hands out to protect myself from anything or anyone I might run into. _

_"Hello?" I yelled out. _

_The creaking stopped and so did the sobbing. All I could hear now was sniffles. _

_"Am I close?" I asked, still holding my hands out. _

_The sniffles were getting louder now, and my hand collided with something rough. _

_'A tree trunk?' I asked myself, feeling around the trunk for some clues as to where I was. _

_"Who are you?" I heard from beside the tree. "What do you want?" I heard again, hearing him sniffle once more. _

_I began to feel down the tree until my hand made contact with the Earth below it. Feeling around for any wet spots on the ground I sat down just below the tree, not bothering to lift my head to make it seem like I was looking at the crying boy because I knew I would probably look like a fool._

_ "I'm Mayu." I said with the biggest smile I could make at that moment. _

_The boy didn't say anything, he just sniffed some more. _

_"What's your name?" I asked. _

_"Naruto..." He told me. "What do you want?" _

_"Um.. I'm not sure. I heard you crying and came to investigate. Why are you crying Naruto?" I asked him, smoothing out wrinkles in my dress, even though I wasn't sure if I even had any or not. "_

_Nobody likes me. Everyone hates me, and I just...don't know why." Was his reply. _

_I lifted my head a bit, hoping I was at least looking in his direction. "I like you." I said. "_

_But you just met me.." _

_"So, doesn't mean that I don't like you."_

"About a year after that I found out from one of the villagers that he was a Jinchuriki. It didn't bother me as much as people had expected it to, I mean, it doesn't really change who he is." I finished.

Gaara was silent the entire time I talked about meeting Naruto, he was taking it all in surprisingly.

"You're a fool." Was all he said after that.

My eyes widened. 'A fool? How am I a fool?!'

"Your friend is just like me. He grew up hated by everyone, shunned, neglected, feared. Everybody thinks of him as nothing but a monster, a beast, and that's exactly what we are, beasts." He told me.

The tone of his voice sent shivers up my spine.

"He's a fool causing his own demise."

"If you two are exactly the same, then why is he a fool?" I asked Gaara, I could tolerate him acting like a jerk, and yelling at me, but calling Naruto, my best friend, a fool?

Gaara began to laugh, and not the melodic laugh that makes everyone around you want to laugh too. It was a creepy laugh that could make little children cry!

"He's a fool because he wastes his time caring about others. Those who waste their time on others end up becoming weak, and will eventually die as a result of that weakness. I live my life for me, and myself only, and my goal in life is to wipe out every single human being on this planet... including you."

After that I felt something wrap itself around my leg, and began to squeeze.

Ironically it was my bad leg.

Part of me wanted to run, to scream, and find Sasuke, or to maybe hit him and force him to let me go.

However, the rest of me said to stay, and fight him off.

He was just like Naruto, and I knew somewhere deep inside of him was a human yearning for love.

"Go ahead, kill me. Your life won't get better, it will stay exactly the same. Only you'll have one less person to talk to." I said as calmly as I could.

He didn't release his grip on my leg, but he stopped squeezing which was a good sign. Maybe if I keep reasoning with him, he'll let me go completely and stop being so fussy.

"You're different." He said, in an emotionless tone.

I forced myself to laugh. My leg, where he had a hold of it, was killing me, but I knew I had to be as sweet as possible if I wanted to make it out of here in one piece.

"Different is good." I chirped. "How am I different?"

"You didn't run. You weren't afraid. You.. care about another Jinchuriki." He said in the same emotionless tone.

I felt him release my leg and to prevent further damage I shifted my body so that I was sitting on my legs.

"Of course. I don't think having a beast inside of you makes you a bad person. It doesn't make you a monster, you're still a human being no matter what's sealed away inside of you. It's how you act towards others that determines whether you're a beast or not." I explained, silently praying that somebody, anybody would come to my rescue.

Actually, scratch that last part.

I can get myself out of this mess. The longer I sit here, the longer I talk to him, the more angry he becomes and the closer I was to being hurt.

Or worse.

Pulling myself up to my feet I straightened out my dress, thankfully I had leggings on underneath or else Gaara would have had a good look up my skirt, and I turned t walk away.

"Naruto isn't a beast because even after all he went through growing up he never gave up searching for love, or for friendship. He never let the beast within him take over, and he never let it beat him. He made sure he stayed as human as possible. A beast is somebody who rejects all love and kindness directed towards them. They let the beast within them take over, and they become a cold heartless monster, who only cares about themselves and who's only purpose in life is to kill. That is what a beast truly is." I said as I walked away.

Gaara might not have listened to me at all, or he could have heard every single word. I didn't want to stick around to find out.

Finding the ladder wasn't a difficult task at all, climbing down however was agonizing. Once my feet touched the ground I kept walking, straight in the direction of our apartment.

About halfway home, I heard somebody call my name.

"Mayu! Where are you going?"

"Hinata! I'm just going home." I stopped walking and listened. I wasn't entirely sure where she was, all I knew is that she was near.

Her hand landed on my shoulder, and she spun me around to face her.

"I saw you with him, on the roof." She said softly, a hint of worry in her voice. "Want to come to my house? It's just me home.."

My original plan was to reject her offer, go home and cry until my eyes fell out, but maybe all I needed was a little girls time.

"Sure, I'd like that."

* * *

***_As you can see, I'm trying to keep the chapters as similar to the original as possible._**

**_I'm going to correct most of my errors, and add new content to each chapter as well as cut some content, and leave out chapters altogether._**

**_Please leave me a review, It means so much to me and I'd like to know what you think of my story._**

**_BE HONEST WITH ME! I can take it :3_**


	4. Bad News

**Chapter 4: Bad News**

"No way..."

I nodded. "This guy, is bad news. I can tell."

"Then... why do you..."

"I don't know." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I.. don't know."

The entire time I told Hinata about this, Gaara person that I met, she seemed very uneasy. It was as if she felt the same way about him that everyone else in Konoha does.

He is very bad news.

"Nobody wants me near him." I admitted, popping a riceball into my mouth. "I just feel as though he needs someone. Somebody to care about him. I feel useless, standing around doing nothing for anyone all the time. I want to help."

"But, Mayu..." Hinata began. "He could kill you."

It pained me to say this but yes, she was right. He could easily kill me.

I know he wants to kill me.

"I don't think he needs your help." She said, making a tapping noise on something. "You should.. stay away. Just for a bit. If he comes to you then maybe he's worth your time but if.. if he doesn't then.."

Hinata was always there for me when I needed her. She stood by my side in the ER when I tripped and rolled down a hill one summer, injuring my knee once more. She even helped me out when I needed to get changed, bath or get anywhere.  
Without her and Naruto, I would never be where I was today.

"I guess your right." I sighed. It was one thing to have over-protective Sasuke and over-reacting Naruto tell me to stay away, but when no-nonsense Hinata warns me, I should listen.

"Thanks for supper, and the talk, and for just being you." I smiled at her. "I mean it."

Hinata let out a soft giggle. "You're welcome."

* * *

Hinata had offered to walk me home after us spending time together, because it was apparently dark outside, but her father had other plans for her.

That poor girl, he works her to death with all the training he forces upon her.

My walk home was rather long, and it was a chilly night even for Konoha.

"Something, is going to happen." I told myself. "Something bad, I know it."

A few dozen crickets were chirping away nearby, and the wind was pushing around some leaves and stray pieces of garbage. Even with that, the night was so quiet, it was almost unbearable.

I could sense a pair of eyes on me, burning into the back of my head. They have been following me since I left the Hyuga compound.

They were very hostile, almost evil.

I did not recognize them.

My heart began to thump uncontrollably in my chest, and a terrible ringing sounded in my ears.

'Don't panic, that's what they want.' I told myself, swallowing back my fear. 'Just.. remain calm.'

I could not hear any footsteps, or any sounds for that matter. Just my breathing, and the clump-clump of my shoes hitting the dirt beneath my feet.

Whether it was my fear or my fatigue that was causing it, but I was feeling a terribly strong headache surfacing. It started as a dull pang, and within seconds it felt as if somebody was harshly thumping me in the temples.

"Oh what is this-" I winced, holding my head.

Between my panic and fear and my spontaneous aching head, I lost track of where I was walking and became disoriented.

Where was I? Was I in town? Near the market?

How was have I walked since I left Hinata's?

My legs began to grow weak beneath my body and It felt as though I would faint any moment. My body staggered to the right, causing my to collide rather harshly against a concrete wall. Patting it down I began to feel around for a number, a sign, anything.

Nothing.

Now I was really panicking.

"Help! Is someone there?" I called out.

Silence was my reply.

My head began to throb worse than before, and I swear I could almost see myself growing more and more dizzy.

And then I saw the bright white light.

* * *

**I forced my eyes open to see a giant snake, wrapped around a large tree branch.**

**Wait... I can see?**

**What is going on?**

**I blinked, surely this was a mistake.**

**Or was it?**

**I rubbed my eyes, unsure as to what I was really seeing.**

**When I opened the a second time, the scene was different.**

**This time, the snake was standing before a man about my height, dressed in blue with a strange red and white fan on his back.**

**His hair was a dark-black in colour, and he was covered in dirt, bruises and blood.**

**The snake was.. laughing at him.**

**It's yellow eyes, stared at him as if he was it's next meal.**

**And then, the snake lunged.**

**It's huge mouth was opened wide, headed straight for the man.**

**Surely he was about to be eaten!**

**I let out a cry and lunged forward, even though I knew there was no hope, that I would never make it.**

**But as soon as the snake made impact with the man, it wasn't a snake at all, but rather a tall man with long, black hair.**

**He was dressed in strange cloth, his eyes identical to that of a snakes, stared straight into mine with a sinister look.**

**His teeth sank further into the neck of the man, and it was then that I forced my eyes closed once more, hoping to wake up from this nightmare!**

**However, instead of waking up and seeing the familiar darkness that I was accustomed to, I saw two more men standing in a room surrounded by curious onlookers.**

**I focused on the two men in front of me.**

**They were both close to my height, maybe taller, or maybe shorter, it was hard to see from where I was standing. Both of them appeared to be polar opposites.**

**The first man on the left was wearing an odd green one-piece, and his hair was cut into the shape of a bowl. His eyes brows abnormally large, and he wore a look of pure determination.**

**The man opposite him wore an uncaring look, as if the life standing before him meant nothing to him.**

**He too wore a black one-piece, but his was short-sleeved and less painful to gaze upon. His hair was a fiery red, and he had no eyebrows but instead a mark of some sort was tattooed upon his forehead.**

**On his back was strapped a gourd, with various stickers plastered on the sides.**

**"Where is this?" I asked, taking a few steps forward.**

**Around me, there stood any different people, all close to my height and age. Their hair ranged from short and spiky to long and wavy. They had various hair colours as well, one girl had bright pink hair while an adult beside her had grey hair that stuck up in various directions.**

**Nobody moved, and nobody spoke.**

**Was I dreaming?**

**As suddenly as it appeared, everything around me disappeared, and was replaced by a different scene.**

**The man in green was on the ground, his limbs twisted in various directions, his own blood spilled onto the floor around him.**

**The red-head stood in front of him, a malicious look plastered on his face, he licked his lips as if hungry for more.**

**He let out a blood-curdling laugh, one that made the hair on my neck stand straight up.**

**Suddenly, a light-brown powder began to rise from the ground, encasing the man in green and lifting him straight up into the air.**

**As soon as if happened, the red-head clenched his fists, and the man in green was crushed.**

**Mutilated.**

**Ripped apart.**

**His blood was everywheres.**

**I let out a scream, and rushed towards him screaming for help, for him to stop, for.. something!**

**It was then that I saw the white light once again.**

* * *

I opened my eyes for a third time, expecting to see yet another gruesome scene, but instead I saw darkness.

The usual.

I was still standing upright, leaning against the concrete wall.

Did I fall asleep like this?

What was going on?

My heart was going out of control, and it was rather uncomfortable. A sort-of numbness was forming in the pit of my stomach, and I felt as though I were about to be sick.

In all honesty, I didn't really feel like moving.

My original plan was to just slump myself against the wall and wait for morning, surely someone would find me.

However I felt a presence nearby, and even though my gut was telling me not to call out, I didn't much feel like spending the night outside.

Especially after what I just saw.

"Is someone there...?" I managed to squeak out. "Please help. I can't see."

I didn't hear anything beside my heartbeat for seconds after, and I had assumed whoever it was had shrugged me off and kept going.

However, I felt a presence beside me. It was as if they teleported there.

"I am always running in to you." A cold, familiar voice spoke up. "Tell me woman why do you insist on being a nuisance?"

"Gaara." I breathed, relieved it was only him and not some psychopath from another village. "I swear.. I did not know that it was you." I admitted, stopping myself from reaching out and grasping his arm. I hated not having physical contact with the person I was with, it made me uneasy.

I needed to know they were close to me.

"Please... I just want to go home." I whispered, forcing back my tears. I was lost, and very spooked. He was the only person out this late at night, and he was my only chance at getting home.

"Please..." I whispered again, ignoring my instincts and reaching out to grasp on to his arm. He did not flinch or pull away this time, he did not do much of anything actually.

He just let out a soft growl under his breath and began to walk away, with me still holding on to his arm.

Whether or not he was walking me home I had no idea, but going with him was better than being alone right now.

The walk back to my place was silent. Very, silent.

I couldn't hear Gaara's footsteps, or his breathing for that matter. He was truly a ninja.

My torso still felt like it had a thousand butterflies fluttering around uncontrollably, and it was a very uncomfortable feeling, and it made me want to vomit.

I couldn't do that, not here in front of Gaara.

"Thank you." I told him.

He did not reply, but I expected as much.

But that was okay with me.

I was scared that if I tried to talk to him, I would burst into tears, or let my fears show through.

I could never let anybody know that I was scared.

The familiar sound of my wind chimes could be heard in the distance, and I perked up. I was almost home!

Was Naruto still awake? Would he be worried?

Could I make it to my room okay?

"Your house is ahead." A voice spoke up from beside me, causing me to flinch.

"Oh..okay." I said, nodding in his direction. I felt a large gust of wind as Gaara, vanished, and left me standing there alone.

Even though he was gone, I could still feel him nearby.

So was Naruto.

I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my shaken nerves. I had to appear natural, if not, Naruto would know something was wrong.

I turned towards the sound of my wind chimes, running as fast as my leg would take me.

I wanted nothing more than to retreat to the safety of my room.

But would I be able to sleep once I had arrived there?

Would I have a dream like that once more?

* * *

***Sorry for how this turned out.**

**I had a terrible case of writers block X_X and I wanted to get this over-with and on to the good stuff.**

**LEt me know what you think! Your thoughts count. 3**


	5. The Chunin Exams

**Chapter 5: The Chunin Exams  
**

Have you ever been in a situation where your friends are potentially about to die and you can do no more than just sit back and wait to hear the bad news?

Yeah, that's me right now.

I get to spend all week, worrying about the genin participating in the Chunin exams.

The first part had ended last night, and as soon as it had ended they had just enough time to rush home and sleep only to be woken up four hours later for the second half.

I didn't even see Naruto, I don't know where he went last night.

He didn't come home.

The second part of the Chunins exams had started two hours ago, and instead of spending my day as I had yesterday, which was pace around my apartment and bite my nails, I decided to get up, get ready and enjoy the fresh air.

Anything to distract me from my worries.

I went straight for Ken's, hoping for a nice relaxing conversation, however Ken was absent today.

Instead, some strange man named Souya was in charge today.

He was deep in conversation with the man sitting beside me when I had sat down.

"The second part of the Chunin exams started eh?" Souya spoke, clanging around various dishes and utensils.

"Yeah I know, they're brave ninja's that's for sure. The forest of death was the toughest challenge I ever had to face, It's a shame that only half of them will come out alive." The second one said. "This batch of genin looked like they might have some potential too, too bad."

I felt my blood go cold.

The forest of death? What kind of a name for a competition is that?

What kind of proctors are running this thing, are they insane?

"Miss?"

I turned my head towards the voice.

"Do you need anything?" Souya asked, clinking more dishes.

I suddenly lost my appetite.

"No... no thanks." I said,giving a slight nod before sliding off my stool and wandering off.

"I hope they're all okay..." I said to myself, walking towards the shop. "All I can do is wait..."

Waiting was so difficult, especially when three of your best friends are potentially in danger.

I kept thinking of all the horrible things that could happen to them inside of that place, and why they would call it the "Forest of Death."

"I wouldn't worry too much." Came a sudden voice at my side. At first, I thought that it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but then I felt a physical presence beside me and I almost had a heart attack.

"Kakashi!" I yelled in surprise. "Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry. I keep forgetting that you can't see." He stated blankly. Who could forget such a thing? "Anyways , don't worry about them too much Mayu. They're young and a bit naive sometimes but, they're my squad and I know they're ready."

"I know I shouldn't worry too much but I can't help it... I just had a.." I stopped myself. I couldn't just, blurt out that I had a scary dream, or not a dream, a vision and that because of it I'm scared for my friends.

"You had a?" He repeated, his tone of voice told me that he was suspicious.

"Nothing." I lied. "Kakashi, can I... can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Does... do you know any men in this village, who have red hair and carry a gourd? Or who might dress in green spandex, or who wears a blue shirt with a red and white fan printed on the back?"

The wind picked up, and a shiver ran up my spine.

"Why?" He asked, his voice was very stern, and very serious. This wasn't like Kakashi at all, could be sense my fear?

He wa a Jounin, it wouldn't surprise me if he knew what I was going to say even before I said it.

"I just..." I stopped myself again. "Nothing."

"Mayu..."

I let out a sigh. This was hopeless, I needed to talk to someone and Kakashi was extremely aware that something was going through my head.

"The other night, while I was walking home." I began. "I suddenly felt, sick to my stomach, and.. and I had a very bad headache, and I grew very weak and tired. I guess I collapsed against a wall or a building but..."

His eyes were locked on to me, waiting for an answer.

"I saw something." I told him, rasing my eyes to search for his own. "I saw a man in blue with the crest of a fan printed on his back. He was bit by a man who resembles a snake. Then, I saw two men in a stadium of sorts, surrounded by people. One man, with red hair and who carries a gourd, mutilated this other man wearing green, who had thick black hair. It was... horrible. Ever since, I have had this uneasy feeling, in the pit of my stomach and this voice in the back of my mind telling me that something very bad is going to happen."

Kakashi was very silent, and for a minute I had thought he just up and left.

"Who else have you told?" He asked me suddenly, his tone very stern.

I swallowed. "Just you."

"Good. Let's keep it that way then." He spoke up, as cheerful as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Now then, I should be off."

Within seconds Kakashi Hatake's chakra vanished, and I was left by myself, replaying the conversation that we just had over and over in my head.

* * *

It was almost four days before the preliminaries were over.

My original plans were to wake up bright and early, wash myself and change into a cute outfit I bought, and hoped that the colours matched, rush down to where they were and wait eagerly with lots of refreshments and words of congratulations for them.

However, that is not what happened.

I was woken up by Kakashi at my door.

"You need to come with me." He told me, and the way that he said it made my stomach turn.

He had taken me to the hospital, I could tell by beeping noises and the sounds of nurses calling out for one another or shouting orders back and forth.

"Why..." was all I managed to spit out before I realized. "The man in green."

The image flashed before my mind once more. The man in green, standing there before the one with the gourd, the crazed laughter filling the air before the sickening snap of bones.

"His name is Rock Lee." Kakashi told me. "I've taken you to see him."

I gulped. Was I about to meet with the man in my dreams?

The creaking sound of a door opening caught my attention, as did the steady beep of a machine and the gentle buzz of somebody humming.

"You go in alone. I've got, matters to attend to. I'll come fetch you when I'm ready for you." Kakashi said, giving me a gentle push inside.

"Hello." A soft, kind voice spoke up from somewhere to my left. "I did not expect any visitors, especially a woman as lovely as you."

His words caused my face to heat up momentarily. Whoever this, Rock Lee person was, he sure was a polite fellow.

"Hi, Lee." I said, inching my way forward. I slid my foot across the floor until it collided with his bed. "May I sit here?"

"Of course! Please, make yourself comfortable." His voice cracked several times, and I knew he was in pain just by the way he spoke to me. He was trying to stay strong.

"How are you?" I asked. "I...Somebody told me that you were injured pretty badly. I just came to see if you were alright."

I almost slipped up and confessed to having a strange vision about him, but he would most likely see me as absurd.

"It was a fine battle. Gaara truly was a worthy opponent. He really did a number on my leg though." He laughed. "But do not fear! I will be as healthy as a lotus blossom before you know it."

_"Gaara truly was a worthy opponent."_

His words rang through my ears, causing my head to feel as though it were splitting in two.

'So the man with the gourd must have been...'

"I see." I muttered. "I can't imagine how much pain you are in right now."

"At another time in your life you were in the same state as I, were you not?" He spoke up. "I can see your leg is swollen, and the bandages show it is injured."

It was my turn to laugh. I guess I have been in his shoes before, and I know how much his leg must be hurting.

I just hope his heals better than mine did.

"It was a childhood accident that never healed." I told him with a smile.

The door creaked open, and footsteps made their way across the room.

"Sorry to interrupt." Kakashi spoke up. "I need to borrow Mayu for a few."

I stood up from the bed, and made my way over to where his voice came from. Before leaving I turned in what I hoped was the direction of Lee's bed.

"My name is Mayu by the way." I said. "It was nice meeting you, feel better soon."

"Thank you! It was a pleasure to meet you too!" He called out.

Kakashi took me down a series of winding hallways and up a few flights of stairs. After ten minutes of walking my leg began to ache and I had to plead with him to slow down.

"Where are we going?" I asked him after we successfully climbed our second staircase.

He didn't reply. All I heard was the creaking of another door opening.

"Sasuke's in here." He explained. "He's in a foul mood, I thought you might be able to cheer him up."

There was something he was hiding from me. Something important that I should know. I can just tell by the way he spoke to me just then, but I decided against pushing it.

I simply nodded and stepped through the door.

"Hi Sasuke." I said, sliding my way across the floor. I could hear his breathing, it was heavy as if he were struggling to draw air into his lungs. Once I found his bed I carefully sat down, hoping to avoid bumping a possibly injured leg or arm.

"How are you?" I asked him, reaching over to lay my hand on his. As soon as my fingers brushed against his stone cold hand he quickly drew his hand back. He began to shuffle around and make a lot of movement, but he remained in the bed.

Did he turn away from me?

What could have possibly happened?

"Sasuke?" I tried again, this time I leaned forward and found his shoulder. "Are you alright? Did you, did you pass?"

Again there was no reply. I moved myself closer to him and sat beside him, resting my head upon his shoulder.

"I don't need you to tell me what happened." I told him. "But please talk to me, say anything and I'll be okay."

Sasuke cleared his throat, and drew in a deep breath of air, but said nothing.

'Perhaps he failed...' I thought to myself. 'Perhaps he did not succeed..'

He jerked his shoulder out from under my head, and I managed to catch myself before I fell on top of him like a fool.

"Sasuke?"

A dark aura was radiating off of him, he was very angry and I could see that even in the condition I was in.

"Go away." He growled.

I moved away from him. Did he just tell me to go away?

"I do not understand."

"Go away, you're... you're annoying."

* * *

***Hey!**

**Sorry for the really late update.**

**I had a little accident with a kitchen knife and nearly cut the top of my thumb off, and with the stitches and gauze it was next to impossible to type properly.**

**I'm okay now :)**

**All opinions welcome!**

**Please let me know what you think.**


	6. So You've Had A Bad Day?

**Chapter 6: So You've Had A Bad Day.**

Sasuke hasn't spoken a word to me in almost two weeks.

I haven't sensed his chakra nearby at all.

Nor have I even heard his name being mentioned.

Naruto won't even talk to me about him.

On top of that I've been having visions more frequently than I would like.

Why is this happening to me?

* * *

"I'm so bored..." I groaned, dragging my game leg across the dirt as I walked. My leg throbbed in pain and my hip began to ache from all the limping I was doing, so I decided to just drag my foot as I walked. It was the easiest thing to do, and at this point in my life I could care less about what other's thought of me.

I most likely looked insane.

"Naruto is training with some pervy-sage... thing, and Sakura and Ino became best friends once more so they're out of the picture."

I let out a deep sigh. My life hasn't been quite the same since Sasuke and I had fought.

I had nobody to talk to anymore, everyone was all out training or gossiping with their friends while I sat at home and listened to the sounds coming from the window or drank so much tea I practically put myself in a coma.

If that's even possible to do.

I feel incredibly lonely, and helpless.

Konoha had been quite busy these past few weeks. Tourists from all over had arrived to witness the final round of the Chunin selection exams, and there was so much unfamiliar chakra, sounds and languages that I had developed a permanent migraine because of it.

"I can't wait for these stupid exams to be over with." I scoffed, kicking a rock or a piece of garbage out of my way. "I hate shinobi."

Did I mention that I have also been in a permanent bad mood for the past two weeks?

Now, I'm sure that you are aware that I can navigate through Konoha fairly well even without eyesight, as everyone has grown accustomed to my lack of eyesight and strange habits. However, those who are not native to Konoha are completely unaware, and with all these foreigners and crowds it became even more difficult for me to get around without causing some sort of disturbance or accident.

I was so focused on how much I hated the world and everyone in it, that I failed to notice a rather large, and very solid, man standing in front of me.

"Watch it punk!" He yelled when my nose collided with his back. "Are you blind?!"

Before I could open my mouth to inform him that I was indeed blind, I was shoved rather harshly from somebody off to the right.

"Can't you like, seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee where you're going?!" A shrill-voiced woman sneered as I felt my body fall rather violently to the ground. Her voice was so nasally, and with the way she drug out every word in that sentence, I'm surprised she didn't collapse with not enough oxygen in her lungs.

"I'm sorry, It was not my fault, please let me-"

"I don't know how you people from Konoha normally handle things." The man growled, right before I heard sticks cracking. "But where I come from, it's not nice to bump into others."

"Yeeeeeeahh!" The woman said, in such a way that I swear my eardrums felt like they were about to explode due to her voice.

I could hear them walking towards me, and I felt my breath become caught in my throat.

This is it, I'm dead.

I'm so very dead.

Wait, why was nobody helping me?

Before they had a chance to dismember me however, I felt a familiar and reassuring chakra come between us.

"Is there a problem here?" I heard Iruka-sensei ask. "I hope you can forgive Mayu, as you can see she is blind and she is also not used to large crowds so It's difficult for her to go about without bumping into people by mistake."

The three of them continued to talk to one another for a while before they walked off leaving Iruka-sensei and I alone. Apparently these two were very apologetic and even offered to buy me lunch, which I declined, and then promised to watch their temper while staying in Konoha.

When Iruka-sensei was finished saving my life, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and began leading me off towards the center of town.

"Are you hungry? 'Cause I sure am!" He laughed.

* * *

"Have you heard from Sasuke, or Naruto?" He asked between bites.

I took a sip of my green tea. "No. Naruto took off to train with some, Jir-dude and Sasuke and I are no longer friends." I explained, feeling around my plate for a carrot. I felt gross touching my food with my fingers so much but the waitress apparently didn't hear me when I asked for no celery, and gave me a rather large plate of the stuff.

"The celery is all on the right side." Iruka told me. "Plus you should be able to smell it."

I chuckled. He was right, celery and carrots smell totally different.

I'm such an idiot.

"Say Mayu, I've been meaning to ask you something." He said, before chugging a large portion of his drink.

"Ask away." I said, raising my fork to my nose.

No celery in this bite. Perfect!

I could hear him exhale deeply from the other side of the table, which made my stomach do a bunch of back flips and somersaults. He was probably going to ask me a question that I _really_ didn't want to answer.

"Are you okay?" I felt him take my hand in his own. "You seem unhappy. You have been for a while, and you flinch easier and I always catch you staring off into space with a rather worried look on your face."

Yep. I didn't wanna answer this question.

I could always lie to him, make up some excuse of how I haven't been feeling well, or better yet, throw my leg into the mix and blame it all on my stupid knee. However, I have never lied to Iruka-sensei and I felt as though he deserved the truth.

My mind began to race, thinking up all kinds of believable excuses to tell him.

But in the end, all I kept coming up with was "Just tell him, what have you got to lose?"

I told Kakashi-sensei didn't I?

His hand was rather warm, and very large compared to my tiny, bony hand. As comforting as the gesture was supposed to have been, it only made me feel worse.

"I've been having visions." I said, without even second-guessing myself. "They just happen at random."

He didn't say anything to me, but I could have swore I felt his hands grow rather clammy.

"Lately, they have been involving a young man with black hair and a blue shirt with a fan stitched onto the back, fighting with either a man in green or a red-haired boy with a large gourd on his back."

Yep, his hands are definitely growing clammy.

"And there's..." I swallowed hard, remembering that Kakashi-sensei had told me not to let anyone else know about my visions."

"...and?" Iruka-sensei urged. No sense in turning back now, he already knew most of it.

I took in a deep breath and continued. "There's a man, a snake-man. He bites the black-haired boy and then laughs about it. His laugh is so evil, and so nerve-racking that... it scares me. Then the two walk off together."

Iruka-sensei abruptly released my hand and began to stir about on the opposite side of the table.

"Who else knows?" He asked.

"Kakashi."

"Is that all?"

I nodded.

I could hear him sighing and moving dishes around rather quickly.

"I have to go report this to Lord Hokage. I will pay the cheque, don't worry. Just.. please don't tell anyone else."

I nodded, getting up from my chair. "I won't, don't worry."

"Be careful, Mayu." Was the last thing he said to me before the sound of his hurried footsteps faded into the crowd.

* * *

Once I had made sure that Iruka-sensei had paid out bill, which he did, I decided it was in my best interest to go home, take a long hot bath and then go to sleep forever.

As usual, luck was not in my favour and as I turned to walk away I collided face to stomach with someone else.

"For the love of-" I stopped myself. My stomach was suddenly feeling rather queasy, adrenaline was pumping furiously through my veins.

But why?

I turned to walk home, but before I could take a step further somebody was blocking my path.

"Tell me Mayu, how is Sasuke?" The man had spoke up completely carelessly.

It wasn't Sasuke, even though he sounded pretty damn similar.

Unless it was Sasuke, with a severe cold.

But why would Sasuke ask me how he was doing, that wouldn't make any sense?

How did this guy know me?

"Who are you?" I asked, taking a few steps back from him.

I could sense someone else approach me from behind, and the feeling in the pit of my stomach grew worse and worse.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha." He said. "Sasuke's older brother."

I felt my blood run cold. Was I really face to stomach with Sasuke's older brother?

The one who had killed his family?

The one man who caused him so much pain, and who turned him into the asshole that he is today?

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing would come out.

For once in my life I was completely speechless.

"It is rude to ignore somebody when they have asked you a simple question." He said stepping forward so we were literally touching, his voice thick with amusement. "How is my little brother? Or, rather, where is he?"

The guy behind me stepped closer as well. "You'd better answer him before I lose my temper." He growled.

Where was everyone? Why was nobody helping me?

You would think that with as many people as there are in the village these days they would realize that there was a tiny female crushed between two scary, I can only assume they are scary, men and that she needed help?

Or was this a common thing to see these days?

I needed to get out of there, and fast!

Without thinking I slipped out from between them and began running in a random direction, bumping into everyone and everything along my way and tripping over several crates and piles of trash that littered the street.

I couldn't feel them following me, but with all the chakra floating around me they could be right on top of me and I would have no idea.

I ended up colliding with someone and without stopping I screamed an apology and switched directions, running as far away from the sounds and the yelling as I could.

* * *

After what seemed like hours of running, I ended up in the outskirts of Konoha, in the mini-forest located just outside the school.

My poor leg felt as though it were trying to detach itself from the rest of me and run off on it's own.

"Oh knee." I collapsed to the ground, holding my sore knee. "I'm so sorry."

It was swollen, I didn't even have to touch it to know it was four times the normal size that it should be. I ripped off my bandages as quickly as I could, the cold air made it feel just a tiny bit better.

"Why must my life be so gosh-darn complicated?" I threw myself back onto the grass. "I wish I never met Sasuke. I wouldn't be as messed up as I am now..."

First I almost die at the hands of squeaky and angry, then Iruka-sensei interrogates me over lunch before flying off to create even more drama, and then I literally walk right into Sasuke's older brother.

Could this day get any worse?

I could sense somebody's chakra near me.

It was growing closer by the second.

Did I really have to ask?

I knew who it was, and normally I would wonder what he wanted but today I really didn't care.

Bring it on Gaara, you can't make my day any worse than it already is.

Unless you killed me. That would make it worse..

"Who was that man?" I heard him growl from beside me. He was very silent and sneaky, even for a ninja.

"Sasuke's brother." I wheezed, my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. "Why?"

He didn't answer me, he just plopped himself on the ground beside me.

He was really silent when he did it, I wouldn't have known he was there if I didn't feel part of his clothing brush up against me and the dirt beneath him stir up and settle on my arm.

"Itachi Uchiha..." He said, in such a way that it made my skin crawl. Apparently he has a thing against Uchiha's.

Maybe if I'm lucky, Gaara will kill him for me.

"How was your day, Gaara?" I dared to ask, pulling myself up into the sitting position. He didn't reply, not that I really expected him to, but the tension dropped significantly and he seemed to be less tense and angry.

If that's even possible.

"I bet you're really eager for these next two weeks to go by." I said, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my chin on top of the one that isn't in extreme pain. "I know I am, I can't wait for these stupid exams to be over so I can have my friends back."

I heard him chuckle beside me. And it wasn't the nice _"I think you're funny."_ kind of chuckle, it was more like. _"You're an idiot." _kind.

"You are... the first human who has ever gotten this close to me before.. without dying." He said completely emotionless, as if talking about people dying is an everyday sort of conversation for him.

"I must be special." I joked.

Who tries to joke with Gaara?

Like seriously? What is wrong with you?

"I do not know what you are." He spoke up, his voice was much harsher than before. "but I can not kill you."

I gulped. Was this a good thing?

"I have tried."

Nope. Not a good thing.

"But I just can not do it. I want nothing more than to see your lifeless body lying in a pile of blood and sand."

Oh. My. God. What?

"But no matter how hard I try, I simply can not do it."

Part of me wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but that would probably give him the motivation he's been needing all along to crush me into oblivion, and the other half of my wanted to ask him how and when he has apparently tried to kill me, because I don't remember me ever almost dying at the hands of Gaara.

Did he like, try to kill me in my sleep?

Or maybe while I took a bath?

It was probably the other day when I went for a long walk through the woods alone and I randomly passed him seven or eight times.

I had just assumed he cloned himself, or was running laps.

"I guess... I have to thank you for not killing me." I said, with as much kindness and sincerity as I could manage. I am so good at being fake that I even had myself genuinely convinced that I was thankful.

"I need no thanks." He said. "But I want you to know that someday I will kill you."

"Alright." I said, closing my eyes and pretending to be completely content.

Inside, I was screaming.

"You do not fear me?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because I don't. You've never hurt me, nor said mean things to me aside from admitting that you want to kill me, which therefore means that you are a very honest man." I said, surprised at how good I was at lying. "I'm not scared of you."

"You are different. You do not fear death, you do not fear me. I sense no hostility from you..."

For once he didn't sound angry, or emotionless.

He didn't have that tone of voice that made babies cry nor did he have an aura of destruction.

He sounded completely, and genuinely shocked, and confused.

It was as if, finding somebody who is not scared of him and who does not take his promises of death seriously, is rare?

Has life been cruel to him as well?

Of course it has, jinchuruki's never grow up to live a normal life.

Maybe I shouldn't be as scared as I am around him, even though I truly can't help it. I already made the assumption that he just needs a friend or two, but maybe I was wrong.

Maybe he needs more than that.

He needs to see that not all humans are the same.

We aren't all heartless monsters.

"I like you Gaara." I smiled in his direction. "And I don't want us to hate each other, I want us to be friends."

That was probably the first time I hadn't outright lied to him in order to save my life.

He said nothing to me after that, he was either still in shock or he honestly didn't care about anything that I had said to him.

He probably didn't even hear me.

He stayed with me for a few hours before night came and we parted ways. We sat side by side staring at, well I have no idea what we were looking at but I hope it didn't make us look really stupid.

Once the moon was high in the sky, Gaara teleported off into the distance without so much as a grunt or a "goodbye" while I gimped my way back to my empty apartment, threw myself onto my bed and instantly fell asleep.

I didn't even take my shoes off.

I would find out years and years later that Gaara and I spent two hours sitting and staring at three dead tree's and an old well.

* * *

**I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG IT HAS TAKEN ME TO UPDATE!**

**My laptop broke, and I was updating little-by-little on my phone but my phone bill ended up so high I could barely afford to pay it so I had to stop using the internet as much.**

**I stole my boyfriend's laptop, and decided to update for everyone so that I won't lose so many friends and readers to my inability to update T_T.**

**Forgive me?**

**I tried to stick to the original Blinded script as much as possible without changing too much.**

**This is two chapters from Blinded combined with some stuff I added to make it seem less dull.**

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**

**Feel free to PM me about anything.**

**I will take compliments as well as constructive criticism. :)**


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